At home, The “Batching Method” is a secret weapon to STREAMLIne routines and MAKE better use of space and time.
Batching is a fundamental strategy in productivity. CEOs use it to increase efficiency at work.
Batching isn’t only for the office.
When applied to the home, it becomes a secret weapon for anyone looking to streamline routines, reduce clutter, and make better use of their space and time. The Batching Method is about honoring your time and when integrated into the home it helps reduce decision fatigue and supports the life you’re living with less mental and physical clutter
When your office and home are structured around how you function, every routine becomes smoother, every task more purposeful, and efficient. Having systems in place helps with productivity and creativity. Whether you’re a high-performing professional or a busy household manager, batching offers clarity and control. It frees up your energy for the things that really matter.
Here’s how to bring batching into the most-used areas of your home: the kitchen, closet, and bathroom, with a few extra strategies for seasonal storage and utility spaces that are often overlooked.
Photo by Angi Lewis Studio
Kitchen batching-
For the pantry, group foods by how and when you use them. Store all breakfast items in one area, dinner staples in another, and snacks together for easy access. You can even batch pantry ingredients by cuisine type. Keep one container for Italian dishes (pasta, olive oil, garlic, canned tomatoes), another for Mexican staples (tortillas, beans, cumin), one for Asian ingredients (soy sauce, sesame oil, noodles), and so on. When you want to cook a certain style meal, just pull out the container, prep what you need, and return any unused items in one motion. It keeps your ingredients organized and makes it easy to track what you're running low on.
Think about how you move through your kitchen when you're actually using it. Create zones that reflect function. Store baking ingredients, measuring spoons, mixing bowls, egg beaters and cupcake pans together near the oven so everything is within reach when you’re making cookies or cakes. Keep prep tools like cutting boards, chef’s knives, colanders, peelers and prep bowls near the sink. Place cooking utensils, oils, sauces, and your most-used spices in a cabinet near the stovetop, even tucking stirring spoons and spatulas right into a bin with your pots and pans.
Photo by Angi Lewis Studio
Closet Batching-
Traditional closets are organized by color or item type, but that approach doesn’t reflect how we actually dress. A more effective system is to batch clothing by the role you're stepping into. Create sections for workwear, weekend loungewear, evening outfits, and travel staples. This method makes it easier to find an outfit that matches your calendar, without second-guessing yourself in front of the mirror.
If you’re tech-savvy or love a digital approach, there are apps that help. The Stylebook app and others like it are great tools to bring batching into the digital realm. It allows you to upload your clothing, build outfits on your phone, and track how often you wear each item. You can even plan your wardrobe on a calendar and use the app to generate smart packing lists. If you travel often, these apps can make packing more efficient, just drag your pre-built outfits into a suitcase list and check off each item as you go. It’s like a personal stylist and closet manager in your pocket.
Create a small section in your closet just for travel-ready items, wrinkle-resistant pieces, packable shoes, layering basics, and a fully stocked toiletry bag you never empty. When it’s time to head out of town, you can pack in minutes, not hours.
Planning a couple of outfits weekly is another way to bring batching into your wardrobe. Once a week, pull together at least two complete looks, including accessories and shoes, and hang them together on a separate rack. When mornings get busy, you’ll have outfits to fall back on and be ready to go.
Finally, batch your accessories by how you wear them. Group items for work, casual wear, evenings out, and travel separately. This makes it much easier to finish a look without having to sift through every pair of earrings or scarf you own.
Photo by Carol Appelbaum, Luxury Pro Organizer in Houston, Texas
Bathroom Batching-
Bathrooms are high-traffic spaces, which makes batching especially powerful here. Start by organizing your personal care items by the routine they support, rather than by product category. Group your morning skincare, cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF into one tray or bin. Your evening products, oil cleanser, retinol, and night cream go into another. Do the same for makeup. Keep daily-use items together and occasional-use products like bold lipsticks or extra eyeshadow palettes stored separately. Place hair care supplies near styling tools for easy access.
And for travel, keep a ready-to-go toiletry kit packed at all times with TSA-friendly versions of your essentials. Store it with your luggage or in your closet’s travel section so you never have to start packing from scratch again.
Additional powerful home batching strategies that most people don’t consider.
In the medicine cabinet, use large opaque containers to group health and wellness items by category. Label each container clearly one for first aid, one for cold and cough remedies, another for pain relief, supplements, oral, nose, mouth and ear care. When someone is sick, you grab the container, bring it to where it’s needed, use the contents, and return it. This system reduces stress in urgent moments and keeps your health supplies visible but contained.
Photo by Carol Appelbaum, Luxury Pro Organizer
In utility rooms or cleaning closets, batch supplies by cleaning category. Use labeled bins to store wood and glass cleaners together, laundry care in another, iron and steamer tools in their own container, and separate bins for kitchen cleaners, bathroom cleaners, or light bulbs. Instead of grabbing multiple items from different shelves, you grab the container for the task at hand and return it afterward. It simplifies cleaning routines and is easy to keep track of inventory.
Photo by Carol Appelbaum, Luxury Pro Organizer in Houston, Texas
Finally, apply batching to seasonal or event-based supplies. Use opaque storage bins labeled by celebration. Some categories could be “Birthday,” “Halloween,” or “Graduation”. Fill each with everything you use for that event. Your decorations, party napkins, candles, themed tablecloths, gift wrap, or leftover party favors will be in one container. When that holiday rolls around again, simply retrieve the labeled bin, set up with what you already own. Doing this before the event or holiday provides you with an opportunity to see what you already have, which helps eliminate purchasing duplicates. When the occasion is over, simply return the items back in their container. It reduces clutter, saves money, and turns chaos into calm.
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